Research at the Museum, Step-by-Step Guide
By Mayra CuevasRecently, I had the opportunity to do research at the prestigious British Museum in London.I am a big proponent of accuracy in fiction. Accuracy not only makes your story more believable but it adds a layer of detail that makes the story come to life for the reader.Since I was going to England for two weeks for a meditation retreat in the Lake District, I decided to add an extra week in London to do research for my book. My fiancé suggested I contact the British Museum, since some years ago he had been on a similar trip to London’s Imperial War Museum for the purpose of researching a screenplay.If you are setting your sights on using a museum as one of your research tools, this post will explain how to reach the museum curators, how to organize your visit and what resources are available. I will be using my experience with the British Museum as an example, but you can use this post as a guideline to reach out to other museums. How I organized my visit1. My first stop was the museum’s website: BritishMuseum.orgThe museum has 10 curatorial and research departments, all of which can be found in the “About Us” tab of the website. 2. Once I found the department I intended to contact, I browsed the department’s webpage to see what information was available online.Click here for the “Departments” page. 
3. On the “Contact Us” page, there is a list of departments and their respective contact information. I sent an email to the department I wished to research, explaining that I was conducting research for a novel and wanted to meet with a curator. I also included a list of topics I wanted to cover during my visit.Click here for a list of department contacts (Go to the section Show Departments).
4. In a few days, I heard back from a curator and set up my appointment to visit and meet with the staff.
When I got there Everything about the British Museum spoke of knowledge. From its beautiful greek-revival inspired building with its massive columns and its grand entrance to the thousands of exhibits from all corners of the world.After walking through the main corridor, you are met by a modern glass ceiling that washes the main hall in daylight. Hundreds of tourists and locals mill around, moving from one exhibit hall to the next.I proceeded to the information desk were they called my contact and directed me to the doors that lead to the department’s quarters.
It was an amazing experience! I had the opportunity to meet and interview the world’s leading experts on my research topic. The depth and detail of information I received was fascinating. I got new ideas for my book, including new plot twists and potential scenes. Very inspiring.Following my interviews, I was taken on a behind-the-scenes tour of the department’s collection. The museum houses over 80,000 items, but only four percent of those are on display. The rest are in storage or on loan. I got to see firsthand rare objects that were thousands of years old with commentary from the curator.No photos are allowed in the storage areas, but I was allowed to take a pen and notebook with me so that I could take notes as the curator showed me hundreds of artifacts.The department also has a study room which is open to the public by appointment. As part of the services offered by the study room, researchers may request to view items from the collection or access to the books in the department’s library. 
Museum Resources Each curator is assigned with keeping a catalogue of their collection. The catalogues can be found online, click here. There is also a page for the libraries and archives, click here. Thank you! Thank you to the wonderful staff at the British Museum for making my visit a very special one, especially to curators Dr. Julian Anderson, John Taylor and Daniel Antoine.